on-screen piano keyboard for note entry

• Jan 10, 2015 - 20:06

Hi,
I recently buy a laptop with a multi-touch screen, and I was looking for a (free ;-)) software that could help me to write scores without using the computer keyboard.
For this reason I was looking for some kind of embedded virtual piano... and found that MuseScore 2 (I actualy use the 1.3 version) has such a feature.
I've just install the MuseScore 2.0 beta, and try the virtual piano keyboard, but I notice two issues:

1- It is not possible to resize the piano... since I have big fingers, it is not very easy to use (just a little bit than with standard editor);

2- I don't think that 8 octaves are required: a smaller keyboard (maybe only 4 octaves) with an interactor to make fast transpositions could allow to enlarge the keys, and therefore to add zones on each keys that will allow the user to choose the note duration. This will really helps a user to create scores with a multi-touch device. Based on the same idea, an interector designed like a piano key could help to create silences in an easier and faster way.

Best regards,

Mikael Papin


Comments

You can resize the piano keybaord toolbar by holding Ctrl and using the mouse wheel (or equivalent gesture if you have a trackpad - perhaps two-finger swipe).

The full keybaord doens't get in the way, does it? If you prefer not to see it all, just drag it off the main window so it becomes a "floating" window, and you can then resize the window however you like.

BTW - note durations are easily changed usign the keybaord shortcuts: 4 for eighth note, 5 for quarter, 6 for half, etc. And rests are easily entered by pressing "0".

In reply to by Marc Sabatella

Thant you for your reply.
I found the way to resize the window, but the size of the keyboard itself did'nt change.
I don't have my new laptop with me so I will try the Ctrl key and other shortcuts later.

However, I intend to use it (asus TP550LA-CJ085H) like a tablet by flipping the keyboard against the rear of the screen, laid on a music stand (especially on a piano), so I don't want to use the computer keyboard (and in fact can't), and opening the virtual keyboard to use them seems to be a waste of time.

I saw that it is possible to write plugins for MuseScore. Could it be possible to implement it by myself ?

In reply to by Marc Sabatella

That's ok, I succeeded to zoom in the piano using the ctrl key and the mouse pad.

An alternative to my dreams is to zoom-in both the piano and the score (to 150%), and to dock the note durations toolbar below the piano.
Positioning remains when starting the app again, except the zoom factors for both the piano and the score (for which the default value is 100%).
Is there a way to register them ?

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